Coun Jackie Oakes
Mayor of Rossendale
AS this is my first Mayor’s column, I’m going to use this opportunity to highlight the points I mentioned at Full Council in May when I was appointed as Mayor of Rossendale.
I’m honoured - still an incomer after 20 years of living here – to be first citizen of Rossendale.
I love living here and I’m hoping my Mayoral year will give me an opportunity to see parts of the borough I’ve not seen before, and meet people I’ve not met before.
The restrictions of COVID mean it’s going to be a different Mayoral year for Christine, my highly experienced Mayoress, and me.
We’re not expecting a social whirl – at least not before autumn – and we are going to start the year by focussing on two issues that I’m particularly passionate about.
The first is democracy – I’m on a mission to improve the turnout for elections in Rossendale.
It’s not a political mission – being Mayor isn’t a political post – but when the overall turnout in Rossendale is 36%, and seats on all sides are won by very slim margins, then it’s clear that in a twocandidate election the seat can be won by support from less than 20% of residents in that ward. With the support of officers I’m hoping to involve schools in discussions and send the pupils home to explain the principles of democracy to their parents.
The second issue is recycling.
Our recycling rate in Rossendale is simply not good enough.
If anyone’s ever been to Whinney Hill landfill site you will have been horrified at what gets thrown away and literally buried.
So I’m going to work with our Operations team to highlight what can be done and hopefully have a positive report at the end of the year.
In addition, I really hope residents will also support my fundraising activities for my nominated charities, which are; Cancer Research (Bacup Committee), who need no further clarification, Rossendale Rays, who provide equipment for disabled children and Rossendale Responsible Animal Rescue, who provide vital help to animals in need.
We will be starting by selling a Rossendale Calendar for 2022, which includes some wonderful local pictures, and it would be much appreciated if you could dig deep and support these charities.
I’ll also make a plug now for the Mayor’s Ball on Friday 25 March 2022, for which tickets will be on sale as soon as possible – so save the date!
Someone asked if I’d now be available to attend the opening of an envelope – and the answer is yes!
Because if that envelope is important to anyone in Rossendale, particularly to community groups and volunteers who do an amazing amount of work in Rossendale, then it’s important to me and I’d be delighted to receive the invitation.